The Second Hand of Time
by Nillen
Summary: AU. Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, there lived a prince and a phantom thief. KanaZero.


Disclaimer : I do not own Vampire Knight. This story plot originally belong to DNAngel, which I do not own either.

English is my second language, sorry for any errors that you found :)

**Warning** : Characters might get OOC.

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><p>Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, there lived a prince and a phantom thief.<p>

Zero Kiryuu, the prince was born with a gift of a beauty, from the inside and outside. He had a fair skin, white as snow and a pair of beautiful lilac eyes. His soft, silky hair came to the end of his neck and it was in the colour of enchanting silver. Even with his so-called cold demeanor, no one had ever complaint about his heart, as he was the only prince who dared to speak and greet his servants like they were his acquaintances, the only prince who whole heartedly willing to help the commoners and the only prince that dared to speaks for his people.

He was, however, the only child belonged to the ruler of the kingdom. His mother died giving birth to him and his father swore to never let him suffer in any circumstance. But unfortunately, he was tainted with a disease since birth, a deadly one that disallowed him to live like a normal person.

He could not stay too long under the sunlight or he would collapse out of heat. He could not walk too much or he would experience the exaggerated amount of exhaustion. He could not stay wake half of the day or he would lose his consciousness out of his weak body.

Kaname Kuran was a phantom thief. He got the alias by his stance of stealing things that belonged to his ancestors – the ones that had been stolen away from him – and his willingness to help the poor get back what they had lost and he had never, even once, being caught.

He had the ability to move fast, either walking or running or anything and he had a pair of beautiful black wings. The wings that he had, gratefully only came out from his behind once he wished for them to. People had never seen his face but his name was famous and glorious to people in the kingdom and also to those in other kingdoms.

The phantom thief acted at night. Smooth and quick, never left any evidence behind but a small, white card with his signature and a black feather. People said that he was a normal person, who walked in the street, greeting others with a smile on his face and talked to others like he was born to live normally.

But not even a soul had the chance to see his face.

Not until one night.

It was that night when the young prince suddenly woke up from his slumber. His heart was beating fast out of unknown feeling. He got up from his comfortable bed, leaving its embrace before he stepped closer towards the large windows. The night was dark once he thrust open the red velvet curtains and his lilac eyes widened when the glass windows were opened, slowly but gently from the outside.

Black feathers flew in his surroundings, brought by the cold air of December as a figure stood upon his windows.

The russets eyes were mesmerizing as they bored into his own lilacs, the smile upon the phantom thief's handsome face and his hand reaching out in order to hold his own, drew comforts and butterflies and everything into his life as he reached out. The prince watched with wide eyes as the figure murmured softly.

"_I've heard of the young prince… I've never thought that he is __**this**__ lovely."_

It was that night that changed everything in their lives. Every single thing starting from the time that the prince's hand interlocked with the phantom thief's, their eyes locked and hearts soaring and suddenly the need for air had never been this vital.

"_You're the Phantom Thief… what is it you are planning to steal from this castle, if I must ask?"_

The smile upon the brown haired man, the one with beautiful black wings, had widened even only a slightest and the prince was stunned when the moonlight shone behind his dark silhouette.

"… _You."_

Perhaps it was out of loneliness that the prince did not stray away, or perhaps it was because of those russet orbs that drowned him into a unnamed sensation, the one that left him barely breathing and happy at the same time, unable to grip on the sense of reality but yet believing that he had been standing on the ground with gravity pulling him down.

The prince for the first time and perhaps the last time either, opened the window to his soul and let the phantom thief explored what he kept inside of his essence.

It had never been any more beautiful than how the love that later born echoed in their compassion and feelings and hearts and souls. There had never been any more beautiful thing than that.

Days passed, months passed and somehow, the prince's condition became worst and crucially worrisome.

Kaname had spent most of his nights companying Zero in his chamber, unknown to others but he still, at the same time carrying his duty. The phantom thief watched as his possession paled even more, his lilac eyes became duller as days passed and his skin became colder and colder every time they touched each other.

His life was being taken away slowly from his and Kaname was awfully aware of the fact. He tried to look for a cure, even though he knew that the disease that Zero was suffering had no remedy. He talked to his young prince, murmuring words of comfort every time the younger of the two had to sleep earlier or had slept even before he came to visit, out of his worsened health.

His heart ached seeing the one that he had truly came to love in his white and black life, suffering slowly towards death and he have no solution to help. At last, the famous, unidentified phantom thief decided to reveal himself to the King. It went with the knowledge of his young love, which of course, he had insisted for Kaname not to do it since there was nothing that he could gain from it but had been gently, politely differed.

The revelation did not go as smooth as anything, as expected by both prince and phantom thief. The King paid mind to the brunette's status, his duty and his life, saying that it was unforgiveable for a commoner, for a such _creature_ to be with his one and only and beloved son but the result that the King was expecting had never been the same either.

The young prince protected what he believed to be truth, despite his pale sickness and ill health, demanding for no one to dare hurting his companion. The meeting ended in havoc, only because Zero had faint half way, the stress was too much for him to handle.

When Kaname carefully settled him down on his bed, the King had come to talk to him, concerning their only loved one. The phantom thief had listened with emotionless façade as the King doubting their relationship and finally, _finally_ asked why he revealed his so-called important identity at the first place.

The handsome brunette gave a slight smile to the ruler of the kingdom, tone unnerved as he stated his one and only reason. That he would give anything and tried his best to find the cure for the young prince if the King knew how or where he could look for the cure. It was nothing that could stop him, giving his strength and magic and magnificent abilities.

The King was silent for a moment, eyes warily watching as the tall, young brunette tenderly ran his fingers through the sleeping prince's silver tresses, a loving look from his russet orbs directed towards the latter and perhaps, it would not killed for him to state his only hope that he thought was only a wish and forever be only a wish.

"_There is a magical entity that allows a person to make a wish with an exchange for something else."_

The statement perked the curiosity within the phantom thief's mind and he gotten the gist even before the King was about to explain more of his thoughts.

"_Where shall I find it?"_

"_Somewhere in the black forest. The last time a soul used it was about three decades ago and the entity was quite difficult to be found, as it has its own magic to protect itself from human's selfish grips."_

"_That is fine, I am not fully human either."_

A crooked smile was given to the King and suddenly, the hope flashed brightly upon his eyes.

"_The name is Second Hand. Look for it thoroughly and do not come back unless you have it with you as you bring along my son's heart with you. Let me make the wish for his sake as your only effort is to bring it to us. If you truly love him like how you had confessed, you would do anything for him."_

The challenge was clear in the King's voice and not even a nerve in Kaname actually felt threatened. His russets eyes softened as they returned to look at the sleeping prince, his lips curved into a smile that he could only gave to the young prince.

"_I'd do __**everything**__ for him."_

His leave was about few days later. He had come late at night, his usual routine to visit his young prince after he carried out his duty and he sat on the window sill, explained the deal that he had made with the King. Zero was quite bewildered to hear the whole ordeal and insisted for the brunette not to go for his sake, since the black forest was a dangerous place to begin with. Perhaps the phantom thief was better to stay by his side and never leave, to company him throughout the rest of his days before he breathed his last air.

It bothered him to know that maybe the phantom thief would be gone earlier than he would and he wanted to have none of it to happen. He was, however, met with another polite refusal, as the phantom thief took his chin by his long fingers, their eyes met and suddenly the prince felt his resolve weakened.

They shared their last kiss for the moment, eyes closed and lips touching and hearts beating, softly, enchantingly peaceful and before Zero knew it, the time he opened his eyes, he was regarded with nothing but the blackness of sky and the beautiful stars painting the black night.

It took days and days turned into weeks before it came into months.

The young prince spent most of his time praying, in the church, hands folded against one another, his knees on the soft cushion and his eyes closed, quietly praying with a miracle that had never occurred, not even once in his life time, to make its first appearance.

His health was getting worst, especially out of worry and lack of companionship. His father tried to ease his exhausted soul but he could not have any of it. His lilac eyes had lost its shine that Kaname had once stated he had come to love, his lips lost its colour, became dull with paleness and his warmth that always kept him sleep at night had gradually lost its essence.

He wished to stay longer, just enough to at least look into a certain phantom thief's russet orbs, loving eyes, to feel his last tender caress and to hear the love in his deep, rich voice.

But the day came too soon.

The day the phantom thief returned, with a small golden chest in his hand, he was greeted with nothing but a dread feeling. He had easily sensed the location of the young prince, barely managed to even breathe as he made his way to his destination.

His eyes were wide as he stared at the laying, unmoved body of his loved one on the cold floor belonged to the castle's chapel. It seemed that he was the first to discover the loss of the Kingdom's next ruler, and he slowly got onto his knees, his hands shaking, carefully placing the golden entity on the ground next to him before he cradled the dead prince close to his body.

Kaname was not sure why the young prince was alone at the first place. Why no one seemed to care about his doing? Why no one had come to his rescue, to just let him life only for a minute more or so, just to wait for his appearance? Why and why and why and _why_, the questions kept on coming and suddenly tears just could not stop dripping as he held the cold body close to his own.

He murmured softly against the silver tresses that he loved to stroke, the prince's small, cold body molded against his own warm one, his hands caressing every exposed skin of his love as the wet drops of water continued to fall.

His face held no emotions but his eyes were closed and his lips were trembling.

"_I am so sorry, my love… I was too late… I wish I could turn back the time, I wish I was here earlier for you, I wish that you did not leave before I do…"_

"_God Lord, what have he done to accept such cruel fate, why can't he live even for a minute more? I would do anything to make him come back as his life is far more important than my own…"_

His whispering words, voice trembling in invisible agony, body shook as he embraced the prince's body closer to his own.

It was a minute later that the golden chest suddenly shimmering. Taken back by the sudden intensive amount of magic and wonder around him, the phantom thief protected Zero's dead body, his own russets eyes widened as the chest was opened by its own and revealed a young girl with white silhouette.

The girl had a long hair, wearing a white dress and her face was childlike as she stared at them. It was the spirit of Second Hand, Kaname was sure it was.

The girl gave him a small smile, her eyes offering a chance, a sparkling of hope that made the phantom thief almost moved from his position.

"_I've heard of your wishes. If I were to give him second chance, would you give me something in return?" _

The girl softly speaking, her gray eyes bored into his russets. The brunette tightened his hold on his lover's body, cradling him to tuck in under his chin in a half sitting position on his lap.

"_Yes… I'll give you everything if that what it takes."_

The girl's face softened as she watched them, her hands was on one another in front of her stomach and she gave him another smile.

"_In order to give him back his soul, I need yours."_

The statement did not fright him even a bit as he continued to listen.

"_To give him a healthy life, I need your memories."_

At that, his russets eyes however widened. He stilled in his position, taking in every word that the spirit had given to him. He looked down to see the pale face of his beloved prince and his eyes softened, carefully inspecting every inch of the beautiful skin and face he had come to cherish more than his life.

"_When he awake later on, he will not have even a single memory of you. Every piece of memory that had you in it, it would be replaced with nothingness. As if he had stared at nothing, he had talked to nothing, he had listen to nothing, he had smiled to nothing… he had come to love… nothing."_

The phantom thief's heart ached listening to those words as he took a shaky, determined breath. He tenderly ghosted his fingers against the pale face of his lover before turning back to look at the spirit. A small nod of agreement was all she needed and she was not surprised that she got it very easily.

The moment the phantom thief sacrificed his soul, his life and every piece of memory that the young prince and himself had made out of love, the second hand of time in the prince's life were reversed.

In hours later, the King and the guards had found the young prince of the kingdom, sitting alone in the chapel as his bright, beautiful lilac eyes staring down at a black feather in his grip. His face was mixed with confusion and wonders as he looked up at his father. The king was shocked; to see the used to be pale face was now full with radiance of life.

And his words that later came, explained the whole situation to the King nonverbally.

"_I found this when I woke up… I wonder who it's belong to… it's beautiful."_

The young prince murmured softly as he gently ran his fingers against the black single feather, a small smile on his pretty face.

This story had been descended from generation to generation by the children whom the maids of the castle had gratefully told. It was told that the prince had never put away the black feather, even with no memories of his supposed love one because even though the mind had forgotten; the heart still beat for one.

It was also told that prince had clutch the black feather in his hand during his last day of life, which happened to be a year after that, when a war broke between the kingdom and another and he was killed by a traitor.

The prince had never come to love others, not because he was incapable to, but because his heart was not with him at the first place. A phantom thief had stolen his heart, took it with him and never gives it back, and it left the prince wandered with life but no soul, no heart, no love.

And as you listen to this story, you knew that some things may or may not be changed but if love conquers it all, the second hand of time would never be an obstacle at all.

END.

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><p>AN : If there is any confusing part that you couldn't understand, ask me.

Review please.


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